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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. land — to come down
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pop — music
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. land — ground
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — a country
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. toast — bread
  23. pop — soda
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com